Windrow type box



June 24, 1958 R. M. ROBINSON WINDROW TYPE BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 Robert M. Robinson INVENTOR. Mm

June 24, 1958 R. M. ROBINSON WINDROW TYPE BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 Robert M, Robinson INVENTOR.

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WINDROW TYPE BOX Robert M. Robinson, Owensboro, Ky.

Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,867 2 3 Claims. (Cl. 94--44) This invention relates generally to equipment for use in paving or resurfacing roads, and pertains more particularly to an improved form of spreaderbox for distributing paving material such as crushed stone and the like on a surface to be-paved or resurfaced.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a spreader box to be attached to the rear end of a dump truck which will evenly distribute paving material issued from the dump truck along the road surface, the mechanism being adjustable for varying the distribution per lineal foot in accordance with the requirements of the work to be done.

These together with other objects and advantages which.

will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like.

numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevationalview showing the attachment in use;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the assembly; Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4-4 in Figure3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken s'ub-.

stantially along the plane of section line 55 in Figure 3; and V Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the latching assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the spreader box will be seen to consist of a pair of side wall members 10 and 12, a, front wall member 14 and a rear wall member 16. The several walls 1016 are rigidly secured together at their mating edges and are mutually convergent in the manner shown such that the spreader box is formed with a relatively larger open top and with a relatively small open bottom. Theupper edges 18 of the side walls 10 and 12 are vertically disposed, as seen most clearly in Figure 2, to help maintain material dumped thereinto to be retained therein, as will be readily apparent.

It will be noted that each of the walls 10-16 is of generally rapezoidal configuration and that therear wall 16 is cut away at its smaller or lower end such that its lower edge 20 is positioned vertically above the lower edge of the front wall 14. A pair of track members 22 and 24 are secured to the rear wall-16 and extend between the top and bottom edges thereof in the manner shown. Each track member has an oifset longitudinal edge portion 26 spaced from the outer surface of the rear wall providing trackways within which the opposite sides of a panel member 28 are slidably received. A plate member 30 secured at its opposite endsto the track members 22 and 24 and disposed at right angles to the plane of the rear wall 16 forms a guide for the lower ends of the adjusting screws 32 whose upper ends project through the lateral leg 34 of an angle member secured adjacent the upper edge of the nited States Patent 7 2,839,975 Patented June 24, 1958 rear wall. Thrust collars 36 are rigidly affixed to the adjusting screws 32 on opposite sides of the flange 34 to longitudinally aflix this member. The adjusting screws also project through the upper lateral flange 38 of the panel 28 and through'a nut member 40 secured to flange 38 such that upon rotation of the adjusting screws by means of the cranks 42 at their upper end portions, the panel 28 will be adjusted vertically within the confines of the tracks 22and 24. In this manner, the lower edge 44 of. the plate member 30 forms an extension forthe lower edge 20 of the rear wall 16' and will control the height of the windrow 46 formed as the spreader. box is moved along the ground surface For movably supporting the assembly, an L-shaped bracket 48 is secured to the sloping undersurface'of each side wall 10 and 12 such that the vertical legs 50 thereof form vertical supporting surfaces to which spindles 52 are secured and upon which the wheels 54 are journaled. The brackets may be boxed in by suitable gussets 56 in the manner shown.

L-shaped supporting brackets 58 are secured to the front wall 14 in a manner shown most clearly in Figure 5, with the horizontal legs 60. thereof extending forwardly from the lower edge of the front wall. The lower ends of the vertical legs 62 project below the horizontal legs in the looped'stirrup portion 64'whi'ch forms supporting feet for the spreader box when the same is detached from a towing vehicle. A plate member 66 depends from the front wall 14 intermediate the brackets 58 and is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced apertures 68 for receiving a pivot bolt 70" by means of which the drawbar member 72 is pivotally attached to the spreader boxalong a longitudinal axis thereof.

are provided for guidably receiving therebetween; an.

attaching bar 86 secured to the rearward ends of the frame rails 88 of the dump truck assembly indicated generally by the reference character 90.

The guide members 78 journal, in conjunction. with the thrust bearing members 92, a release rod 94 having a laterally offset end portion 96-disposed at one side of the spreader box and the latch members 98 and 100- are rigidly aflixed to the release rod 94 in any suitable manner, as by a setscrew projecting'through the collars. 102 thereof and it will be noted that the undersurface'of each of the latching members is provided with a li-shaped notch 104 to partially surround the attaching bar 861 and, in conjunction with the guide plate 78, attach the spreader box to the rear end of the dump truck One of the latching members is provided'with a depending arm 106 having an apertured lower end for receiving one-end of a tension spring 108 connected at its other end tothe spreader box such as to normally urge the latching members and the rod 94 to the latching position, unl'atching action. being effected by movement of the rod 94' through manipulation of its oifset end portion 96, as will be readily apparent.

It is to be appreciated that the preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes two of the actuating screwmembers 32 previously described, one each being provided The opposite ends of the drawbar 72-overlie portions of the vertical legs 62 which are. provided with.

. r 3 7 adjacent :the opposite sides of the panel 28 in the manner illustrated most clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In operation of the assembly, the dump truck 90'is backed toward the stationary spreader box assembly, the drawbar 72 being disposed in vertical adjustment on the plate 66 at such a height that the legs 82 and 84 of ,the plate 78 will normally receive the bar 86. By virtueiof the .fact thatltheforward undersurfaces 110 of the latchingimembers'98, and 100 are arcuated in themanner shown, the bar 86 will engage'thereagainst and will be guidedby theconverging legs 82 and 84 such as to effect latching engagement between the truck and the spreader box. The specific construction of the bar assembly 86 forms no part" of this invention, and suffice it to say that it'is merely "necessary that 'a horizontal portion thereof be of suflicient length as to extend between the plates 78. With the spreader box thus attached, the dump box 112 is raised, the tail gate 114 thereof being released such that the material 116 in the truck is dumped into the spreader box assembly. The truck is then moved along the road surface and as aresult of such movement, the material in the spreader box will be distributed therefrom through the openbottom thereof in the windrow 46, the vertical height of which is determined by the vertical height of the lower edge 44 of the panel 28. Of course, to effect a gre'aterfor lesser weight. distribution of material per linealfoot, the panel 28 is accordingly vertically adjusted by means of the screws 32. Shouldthe truck and spreader box assembly be stopped at any time before complete distribution of the load is effected, by virtue of the fact that the lower edges of the front and side walls are disposedin closely spaced relation to the ground surface, very little outward flow and uneven distribution of the material will result, the already distributed windrow, of coursegalso serving to obviate outward flow, piling up or uneven distribution.

Another important consideration in regard to the invention resides in the positioning of the wheel members and their axles with respect to the panel 28. That is, it will be noted that the wheel axles are located very close to the panel so thatas the rear of the dump truck rises,

due to dumping the material therefrom as the truck moves along the groundsurface, the vertical height of the bottom of the panel from the ground, and consequently the depth of the windrow, will change only a minimum amount so that the windrow will be of nearly uniform depth. In other words, the arc of travel of the bottom edge of the panel due to rotation of the box counter clockwise as viewed in. Figure 1 about its wheel axis as the load on the truckis lightened, will effect very little vertical movement to the bottom edge of the panel.

When one load has been emptied, the release rod 94 is actuated to release the truck assembly, and the next truck is backed up to the spreader box and hitched thereto for further distribution of material.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed'to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows: a

1. A device for distributing paving material in windrows, said device comprising a spreader box having a front wall, a pair of'side walls, a rear wall that slopes downwardly and inwardlyoof the box, an unobstructed and open bottom, said front wall having a lower edge, said rear wall having a lower edge which is higher than said edge of said front wall to define a single discharge opening both on the bottom and rear of the box, a panel disposed at the rear of said opening and controlling the part of the discharge opening which is formed in said rear wall, a pair'of tracks secured to said rear wall and in which said panel is mounted for movement, means connected to said panel to adjust said panel to vary the size of the opening which it controls, a pair of wheels to at least partially support the box, means connected to said side walls and mounting said wheels for rotation about a horizontal axis which is in a vertical plane that passes through the part of the discharge opening which is in said rear wall so that rocking motion of the box about said axis has minimal effect on the depth of the windrow being formed by the spreader box.

2. A device for distributing paving material in wind rows, said device comprising a spreader box having a front wall, a pair of side walls, a rear wall that slopes downwardly and inwardly of the box, an unobstructed and open bottom, said front wall having a lower edge, said rear wall having a lower edge which is higher than said edge of said front wall to define a single discharge opening both on the bottom and rear of the box, a panel disposed at the rear of said opening and controlling the part of the discharge opening which is formed in said rear wall, a pair of tracks secured to said rear wall and in which said panel is mounted for movement, means connected to said panel to adjust said panel to vary the size of the opening which it controls, a pair of wheels to at least. partially support the box, means connected to said side walls'and mounting said wheels for rotation about a horizontal axis which is in a vertical plane that passes through the part of the discharge opening which is in said rear wall so that rocking motion of the box about said axis haslittle effect on the depth of the windrow being formed by the spreader box, a bracket secured to said front wall, a hitch secured to said bracket and protruding in advance thereof, and a supporting foot secured to said bracket to partially support the box, said foot being located in advance of said wheels and protruding below said discharge opening a distance smaller than said wheels. a

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said front wall is inclined downwardly and inwardly of said box, the first mentioned bracket having a vertical and a horizontal leg, a second bracket having a vertical and a horizontal leg secured to said front wall, a second foot carried by said horizontal legof said second bracket, and said hitch being'secured to said vertical legs of said brackets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,401,149 Foster Dec. 27, 1921 1,488,857 Arndt Apr. 1, 1924 1,605,094 Butler- Nov. 2, 1926 1,641,703 Stanton Sept. 6, 1927 1,748,141. Nickerson Feb. 25, 1930 1,767,243 Kime June 24, 1930 1,811,324 Lockard June 23, 1931 1,861,925 Kime June 7, 1932 1,892,566 Coppock Dec. 27, 1932 2,209,555 Beach et a1. July 30, 1940 2,252,690 Arndt Aug. 19, 1941 2,339,893 Urschel Jan. 25, 1944 2,500,064 Foster Mar. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,759 Great Britain May 13, 1926 333,063 Great Britain -e Aug. 7, 1930 388,647 Great Britain Mar. 2, 1933 455.544 Canada Mar. 29, 1949 

